First Look At Conjuring Spinoff The Nun

A new featurette about the growing Conjuring universe gives the first glimpse at 2018’s The Nun. The spinoff of The Conjuring 2 hits theaters next summer looking to continue what’s been an epic run for horror at the box office. The 2013 original was such a massive hit that it has spawned an entire franchise, with the demonic nun known as “Valak” (Bonnie Aarons) getting her own film and a chance to keep expanding what’s been one of the biggest recent successes in the genre.

Director Corin Hardy is clearly excited to be behind the cameras for The Nun, describing Valak as a “classic, scary horror icon” in a new featurette that has surfaced online. The video spans the whole Conjuring series as it spotlights Annabelle: Creation and its connections to the greater universe of the films, but it also gives a sneak peek at what to expect from The Nun.

Related: Watch ‘The Nurse’ Short That Won the Conjuring Short Film Contest

You can watch the mini-documentary above. Around the 3:55 mark is the first clip from the film, featuring Anthony LaPaglia looking at a photo of a group of nuns where he can see the demon lurking in the shadows. It’s a fresh look at part of what fans were treated to before an Annabelle: Creation screening at San Diego Comic-Con. There is also a series of behind-the-scenes shots from inside a creepy-looking monastery, which will be the setting for much of the film.

Producer and Conjuring director James Wan talks briefly about the new film, hinting that he and his co-producers have a bigger picture in mind and plan for the new spinoffs to “hook back up and link back in to the original Conjuring films.” Wan said in an interview in August that he already has ideas for a sequel, which would tie back to the story of Vera Farmiga’s Lorraine Warren and “make it all come full circle.”

The success of Annabelle: Creation with both critics and theatergoers all but assures that The Nun will continue the great run that the Conjuring franchise is on, and the massive overall achievement for horror films in 2017 promises that franchises like this one will only continue to grow and expand. It was likely made with a similarly low budget and has a built-in fan base that Annabelle: Creation rode to over $303 million worldwide, so the film is certainly set up to be another triumph for Wan and Warner Bros.

Although The Nun is set in the same cinematic universe as The Conjuring, writer Gary Dauberman (who wrote both Annabelle films) said that it will have a different look and feel to it. The setting will be more “moody” and “atmospheric” than its predecessors, which you could argue had pretty terrifying atmospheres to begin with. The demon nun character frightened a lot of people in The Conjuring 2, so it will be interesting to see if those scares can be just as effective in her own film for an audience with high expectations.